


A Schism?

by RavenMorganLeigh



Category: BBC Sherlock, Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Meta, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-03-03
Updated: 2014-03-03
Packaged: 2018-01-14 09:25:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1261237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RavenMorganLeigh/pseuds/RavenMorganLeigh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A meta on the "Schism" growing in the Sherlock community; why I think it exists, and why we need to live and let live. Really, it's my opinion, and I could be on Crack.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Schism?

A Schism?

Or, Why We Need to Allow For More than One Viewpoint on the Subject of Mary

 

I didn’t think I was going to do one of these; but I needed to get a couple of things off my chest regarding that great causation of division within the fandom, Mary Morstan Watson.  
First, I’ll begin by telling you—I recently re-watched the entire series, back to back. This was the fourth watching, and I have to say, once again, I adored Mary—just adored her during the first two episodes.

And then in episode 3, well—she shot (and killed) Sherlock. She hid it, she went to the hospital and threatened him, she came after him with a gun at the Empty House, and even asserted that people like Magnussen was the reason for people like her—meaning an assassin.

I re-watched the episode wondering, what was wrong with me—that I couldn’t’ just ignore what I’d seen and blissfully accept Mary as the perfect wife and mother to be for John. The more I re-watched, the more let down I feel by her character arc, so far.

Part of the reason why I felt the need to re-watch all of Season 3 was simple confusion—

I’m told (emphatically and repeatedly) that Mary is actually a “good guy” that since Sherlock and John forgave her, I should too; that I’m just not giving the character a chance.

Is it just me? Am I too close-minded? Not romantic enough?

Too much a Johnlocker? Really?  
My problems with Mary are not out of a need to ship John and Sherlock, my fave ship is Sherstrade, actually. I don’t have a problem reading a story where there is no slash at all, if it’s a good story.

Then there’s the argument, “Oh, she didn’t really mean to kill Sherlock, she was performing surgery.” Every Meta I’ve seen written by a medical professional proves that statement is wishful thinking.  
Here’s a link to the best one I’ve seen yet.

[Let's play murder by cookieswillcrumble ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1235479/chapters/2535226)

What I hear Pro-Mary people saying is they feel personally attacked by all the Mary-Hate out there. I feel that label is a misnomer—most of us don’t actually “hate” her—a lot of us may feel that her character is good fodder for a morally ambiguous character.

She is not a Mary Sue. She’s not a saint.

She’s possibly more amoral that Dexter, who wouldn’t kill a friend.

Not liking her character, not wanting to write her as a hero, is not a personal attack on anyone.

But, people keep telling me how I should feel about the character—and so I watched the Series 3 again, thinking okay- maybe I am being too hard on Mary.

Maybe I missed something? Why was I not in love with Mary, as so many of my fan-pals are? Why does she engender such strong feelings? Is it just me?

Okay. Here’s what problems I have with her character.

I am profoundly disappointed that Moffat and Gatiss have created a character that could have been a great , strong female character and reduced her to someone who thinks that it’s acceptable to do anything, including shooting someone—in order to protect her relationship. It’s the idea that anything and everything is fair in love and war—and it’s an extremely toxic and destructive example for women.

As someone who has counseled more women than I can count about relationships, I find her actions extremely disturbing.

We see in Mary, a woman who puts herself first, in all things. Including her “love” for John.

No-one ever seems to want to answer this question: if Mary loves John so much, why would she send him back into the same hell he experienced when he lost his best friend, Sherlock, the first time? How did she really think he’d react, if Sherlock died—this time for real, forever?

It makes no sense. None. Unless she’s a psychopath. And here’s a Meta that I think bears out that view.  
  
[Penitence, Paradox and Psychopathy: Why Mary is A Bit Not Good by TheConsultingActor ](http://archiveofourown.org/works/1219021)

 

Of course, my statements reflect my headcanon, and my experience of the show, and my life experience color that.

It doesn’t mean I am attacking anyone, and it doesn’t mean that someone else’s headcanon isn’t valid.

We don’t all have to believe the same thing. Unfortunately, I am noticing a refusal of people with opposing views to accept that others are gonna feel how they feel. There’s a lot of proselytizing, and I think *that’s* what causes division. I actually found myself seriously debating posting a story, I’m working on, because it’s NOT Pro-Mary. (And yes, I caught hell for writing it.) I at least learned to label it so that people who ONLY want Pro-Mary fics can avoid mine.

Because, apparently, one view or the other is now seen as a Trigger.

Honestly, it makes me think of the schism between Catholics and Protestants during the Tudor and Elizabethan Dynasties in England.

In other words, it’s getting a little hot.

 

The result is this: the more people push me to simply accept arguments that to me make no common sense—well, it makes me even more determined to write my headcanonish stories. I suspect that’s happening with a lot of us.

Isn’t that what we all do?

Maybe we all need to take a breath, and realize that people have opposing views, and that’s okay. No need to berate someone for it.

After all, we’re all fans, right?

***

Addendum-- 

Weird observation: 

Okay, so while watching HLV –again-- during the scene where Mary is walking towards the Empty Houses; she walks past ..wait for it.. The Henry VIII Hotel. 

And I thought….no…..no way….

But Henry VIII was succeeded to the throne by his daughter Mary Tudor, who also was known as Bloody Mary, because of all the Protestants and Heretics she put to death, one of which was a pregnant woman who was burned alive. In short, for her restoration of Catholicism to England was Holy War.

The other interesting thing about Mary Tudor is that she suffered from phantom pregnancies—All the symptoms including a swollen belly; it may have been a tumor instead. 

It makes me wonder if there’s actually a clue here about Mary Morstan and her character arc, or have I just gone bonkers?!? 

Ciao, Y'all!


End file.
